Actuator systems employing shape memory alloy, SMA, which can be also referred to as motors, or SMA motors find application in a variety of industries, such as in the automotive industry. For example, one common application is the application as electromechanical actuator which can rapidly and silently move. These actuator systems use the memory effect of SMA material that can be transitioned back and forth between an activated and a deactivated shape. For example, a wire comprising SMA material which is commonly referred to as SMA wire, can be made to shorten, or to extend its length by applying or removing, respectively, a heat source, or a power source that is connected to the SMA wire. In the actuator systems that are described in the prior art, at least one SMA wire is connected to mechanical elements for creating a rotational, or a linear movement to drive a component which is associated with the actuator system. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,345 B2 describes a SMA actuator assembly, where a SMA element is used to impart motion in an output shaft.
Even though some actuators that are known in the prior art are very powerful, these actuators can, however, only operate over a very limited distance. Also, powerful actuators commonly employ SMA wires that have rather large diameters which take a long time to cool down once they are deactivated, so that the SMA wires will need a long time to transition back to their original lengths.
Therefore, the invention aims at providing an improved actuator system which is powerful, allows larger actuation distances, can be tailored to the requirements of different applications in a modular form and having a compact design, so that it can be used for applications where just limited installation space is available.